High Definition (HD) television is growing in popularity. As a result, cable and other communications services, e.g., satellite television service providers, are currently in the process of adding ever increasing amounts of High Definition (HD) programming content. However, there remains a great deal of deployed equipment, e.g., set top boxes and televisions, which are not capable of supporting HD television. In addition, there remains a large amount of existing content which is in Standard Definition (SD) format.
In order to support existing SD systems it seems likely that SD content will continue to be broadcast for sometime. However, in order to attract and retain customers seeking higher quality content, e.g., television programs, sports programs and other video in HD resolution, broadcasters including many cable and satellite broadcasters, are now offering HD quality content as a premium service while continuing to offer the same content, e.g., programs, at SD resolution. Unfortunately, the number of HD channels remains relatively small compared to the number of SD channels. While this may change with time, given the higher bandwidth required for HD channels, it seems likely that for sometime, more channels will continue to be offered in SD rather than HD. Furthermore, given the large amount of deployed hardware that supports only SD quality programs, it seems likely that programs available in HD format will continue to be simulcast in SD for quite sometime.
Many customers have grown accustomed to the SD program channel lineup available by a particular service provider. To maintain the availability of SD programs, HD programs which are simulcast are normally provided on a different, e.g., higher channel number, than the SD version of the corresponding program. Often, there is no fixed relationship between the program channel of an SD version of a program and the corresponding HD version of the program. This can make it difficult for a user to locate a HD channel corresponding to an SD channel or even determine if an HD version of a program being presented is available on another channel.
While presenting both the SD program and HD program one after the other in a program guide, regardless of the channel number of the HD program is one approach to helping users discover an HD program or program channel corresponding to an SD program, it has the disadvantage of reducing the number of unique program listings, assuming HD and SD listings for the same program are not considered unique, that may be displayed on a single screen at a given time. Furthermore the display of both the HD and SD program information which is often redundant, e.g., the program title for both the HD and SD versions will normally be the same, can be distracting and make it more difficult for a user to find a program and/or information of interest when viewing a guide.
While the simulcast of HD and SD programs presents various guide issues, it provides greater flexibility in terms of program recording options which can be of interest given the increasing use of digital video recording devices (DVRs) whether they be network or customer premise based video recorders.
While HD programs offer superior image quality to SD, one drawback is that HD programs are represented using far more data, e.g., sometimes 4 times as much data, as is used for SD programs. As a result, when recorded, HD programs can quickly fill up the storage capacity of many digital video records (DVRs). For this reason, many customers while desiring to record some programs, e.g., movies and/or sporting events, in HD resolution, may desire to record other programs, e.g., news shows, at standard definition resolution even though the program is available in HD format. Accordingly, in many cases it remains desirable that a user be aware of the availability of both HD and SD versions of a program, particularly in the case of devices which support recording of programs for later playback.
In view of the above, it should be appreciated that while the increasing availability of programs in both HD and SD format provides users, e.g., content subscribers such as cable and satellite customers, ever greater options for viewing and/or recording content, it also raises the need for improved methods of presenting guide information and/or recording options to users.